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Ivy Admit Consulting
Comprehensive, hands-on college admissions support for students eager to stand out.
Your story is unique. Your admissions strategy should be, too.
Why Choose Us?
1. Hands-On Support:
I don’t just give advice—I sit down with
each student to work through essays,
applications, and strategy step by step.
2. Structured Guidance:
With regular meetings, clear timelines,
and personalized checklists, I provide a
consistent, organized environment that
keeps students focused and on track.
3. Tailored Strategy:
Your student has a unique story. I help craft a strategy aligned with your student’s goals, strengths, and target
schools.
4. Expert Writing Coaching:
With a background in academic writing and teaching, I help students craft polished personal statements grounded in strong storytelling.
Meet the Founder
Dr. Kristen Starkowski
Kristen has over a decade of experience as a professional tutor and college admissions coach. After graduating as salutatorian from Colby College, she earned a Ph.D. in English from Princeton University before working as a college writing instructor at Harvard. Kristen draws on her writing background to help students brainstorm unique angles and craft personal statements that stand out in a competitive admissions landscape.
Over the years, she has guided students through every stage of the college admissions journey—from academic support on English papers and lab reports to shaping applications that have earned acceptances to top 25 institutions including Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Notre Dame, Barnard College, and more.
What sets Kristen apart is her commitment to high-touch, structured, and personalized guidance. While many consultants offer general advice, Kristen partners directly with each student to transform strategy into a tailored, actionable plan, providing real-time support as they execute and refine their materials.
Kristen works with a select number of families each year, which allows her to take a hands-on role in every aspect of the admissions preparation process, including academic course selection, writing and homework guidance, college list strategy, application preparation and editing, and standardized test prep planning.
Who Do We Work With?
I recommend that high school students begin working with me in 9th grade to get the most out of our time together, but I'm happy to support clients at any stage of the college admissions journey. I also work with middle school students preparing to apply to private and boarding schools, as well as medical and graduate school applicants (often beginning in their undergraduate years) to build competitive admissions profiles.
College Consulting Packages
Three Packages, Tailored to Your Student
Premiere Package
Concierge Package
Highly Structured, Comprehensive Support
Hands-on, White-Glove Support
Structure:
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3 meetings per week
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3 hours of weekly asynchronous support on homework, extracurricular or passion project support, college research and planning, or application editing
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1 parent meeting each month
(Asynchronous hours can be substituted for additional live sessions)
Topics Covered during Weekly Meetings/Hours:
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Passion Project Ideation and Execution
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Research Project Mentorship and Publication Guidance
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College Essay Brainstorming, Drafting, and Final Edits
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College List Strategy
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Summer Program Guidance & Application Help
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Supplemental Essay Strategy and Support
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Extracurricular and Resume Building
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Academic Coaching in English, History, and Science Writing
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AP English and History Guidance
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Interview Prep (College, Fellowship, Internship)
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Strategic Guidance on Awards and Honors
Structure:
-
2 meetings per week
-
2 hours of weekly asynchronous support on homework, extracurricular or passion project formation, college research and planning, or application editing
-
1 parent meeting each month
(Asynchronous hours can be substituted for additional live sessions)
Topics Covered During Weekly Meetings/Hours:
-
Passion Project Ideation and Execution
-
Research Project Mentorship and Publication Guidance
-
College Essay Brainstorming, Drafting, and Final Edits
-
College List Strategy
-
Summer Program Guidance & Application Help
-
Extracurricular and Resume Building
-
Academic Coaching in English, History, and Science Writing
-
AP English and History Guidance
-
Interview Prep (College, Fellowship, Internship)
-
Strategic Guidance on Awards and Honors
Foundations Package
Basic Admissions Support
Structure:
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1 meeting per week
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1 hour of weekly asynchronous support on college research, college planning, or admissions essays
Topics Covered during Weekly Meetings/Hours:
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College List Strategy & Curation
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College Essay Brainstorming & Editing
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Resume Building Tips
Candidacy Building for Middle Schoolers Interested in Private or Boarding School
Structure
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1 meeting each week
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1 hour of asynchronous research or editing each week
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1 parent meeting per month
(Asynchronous hour can be substituted for additional live sessions)
Topics Covered during Weekly Meetings/Hours:
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Exploring Academic and Personal Interests
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School List: Brainstorming and Curation
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Resume Building and Extracurriculars
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Leadership and Independent Project Planning
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Community Engagement Ideas
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Guidance on awards, contests, and honors
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Application Essay Brainstorming, Drafting, and Final Edits
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Reading & Writing Enrichment
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Interview Coaching and Practice
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Study Skills and Time Management
Other Services
College Prep Bootcamps
Graduate School
Medical School
"Get it Done" College Essay Bootcamp
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3 meetings
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3 hours of essay editing on Google Documents
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Personalized, one-on-one guidance
Medical School Admissions Consulting
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Personal Statement & Experiences List Editing Support
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Secondary Support for 5, 15, or 30 schools depending on package
Passion Project Bootcamp
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6 one-on-one meetings over 6 weeks
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Tailored ideation sessions to uncover original project themes
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Guidance on project scope, feasibility, and impact
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Milestone tracking and accountability check-ins
Graduate School Application Consulting
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Personal Statement or Statement of Purpose Brainstorming, Drafting, and Editing Support
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School List and Faculty Research Help
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CV Building Advice
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Resume or CV Editing
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Writing Sample Brainstorming and Editing
"Get it Done" College Essay Bootcamp
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3 meetings
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3 hours of essay editing on Google Documents
-
Personalized, one-on-one guidance
Medical School Admissions Consulting
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Personal Statement & Experiences List Editing Support
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Secondary Support for 5, 15, or 30 schools depending on package
Passion Project Bootcamp
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6 one-on-one meetings over 6 weeks
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Tailored ideation sessions to uncover original project themes
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Guidance on project scope, feasibility, and impact
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Milestone tracking and accountability check-ins
Graduate School Application Consulting
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Personal Statement or Statement of Purpose Brainstorming, Drafting, and Editing Support
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School List and Faculty Research Help
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CV Building Advice
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Resume or CV Editing
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Writing Sample Brainstorming and Editing
Outcomes
Kristen's students have earned admission to top universities across the U.S. and Canada, including:
Brown · Cornell · Columbia · Dartmouth · University of Chicago · Stanford · Johns Hopkins · Georgetown · Barnard · McGill · University of Notre Dame · Wesleyan · Smith College · NYU · UCLA · University of Miami · UMass Amherst Honors Program · Virginia Tech · Purdue · Providence College · American University · UT Austin (McCombs School of Business) · UConn · University of Rhode Island
She has guided aspiring humanists, scientists, and entrepreneurs toward schools that align with their interests and support their long-term goals.
